Amnesty Int'l Hosts Human Rights Conference and Training at UNM

By Carolyn GonzalesOctober 01, 2012

Amnesty International hosts the third annual "Change Our World" human rights training and conference Friday, Oct. 5 - Sunday, Oct. 7 at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building. Hosted by the UNM Amnesty International chapter, the conference brings human rights activists and supporters from the Southwest together for an immigrants' rights rally, workshops and keynote speakers.

"Change Our World" presents two prominent guest speakers, Palden Gyatso and Juan Melendez. Gyatso is a former Tibetan prisoner of conscience who spent 33 years in a Chinese prison; and Juan Melendez is a death row exoneree who spent 18 years on death row in Florida for a crime he did not commit.

The Friday conference kick off features a legislative action blitz from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. as well as an immigrants' rally from 5 - 6:30 p.m. Saturday's day-long event features the two keynote speakers, human rights workshops, as well as a networking event for Young Professions of Amnesty International. The workshops include lobbying and event planning skills and subject matter expertise on women's rights, environmental justice, immigration and human rights as they pertain to the 2012 election. Sunday includes leadership development training for all Amnesty International chapters.

Conference registration is required and the fee is on a sliding scale. Registration is online at Change Our World.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.